Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
China’s vice-premier will visit the US. President Xi Jinping’s top economic advisor, Liu He, will visit Washington to discuss trade issues between the two countries. The Chinese foreign ministry says the US and China will work together for positive outcomes on trade talks.
Iran’s foreign minister will meet with European leaders. Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet with foreign ministers from Germany, France, and the UK in Brussels to discuss Iran’s nuclear deal. Zarif spent Monday in Moscow meeting with Russian leaders after discussing the deal in Beijing on Sunday.
Ramadan begins. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year when observers fast from sunrise to sunset, begins on May 15 and will end on June 14.
While you were sleeping
The US opened an embassy in Jerusalem amid violent protests. The ceremony, attended by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, comes at the head of six weeks of protests over the United States’ decision to move the embassy from Tel Aviv. As many as 200,000 people have joined the protests, with at least 52 Palestinians dead and more than 2,400 wounded.
The US Supreme Court voted 6-3 to axe a ban on sports betting. New Jersey, the state contesting the ban, argued that it infringed on the Tenth Amendment by allowing Congress to enforce its law on states. Now, as a result of the reversal, state governments will have the option to cash in on a portion of the multi-billion-dollar gambling industry.
There might be life on Europa. Jupiter’s moon Europa is one of the more promising places for life in the solar system, and NASA hosted a live Science Chat to discuss the latest analysis. NASA’s Europa Clipper, set to launch in 2022, is packed with instruments to see whether the moon’s salty, liquid ocean holds life.
Tesla announced a reorganization. The automaker will “flatten” its management in the wake of recent top-level departures, including engineering chief Doug Field and senior executive Matthew Schwall. CEO Elon Musk said the time has come to improve communication and eliminate redundant functions and unnecessary activities.
Actress Margot Kidder died at 69. Best known for playing the tenacious Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane in the 1978 film “Superman,” Kidder died in her sleep in her Montana home. She also worked on and off broadway, touring in “The Vagina Monologues,” and spent her later years devoted to political activism.
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Matters of debate
Are ebooks dying or thriving? No one knows—Amazon stays mum on the data behind the self-publishing industry it controls.
Women aren’t quoted enough. Allowing cultural sexism to dictate your choice of sources (paywall) instead of actively seeking females to quote exacerbates the problem.
Introverts may be better networkers. Meaningful, one-on-one conversations promote deeper, more memorable connections.
Surprising discoveries
A 120-year-old starter was added to a Belgian sourdough library. An 84-year-old woman in Canada inherited the living yeast mixture from her grandfather.
Collectors prize rocks that look like meat. Lushan, China has literally set the standard for meat-rocks, which are on display at its meat-rock museum (paywall).
Bolivia’s navy has no ocean. The nation became landlocked in the 19th century, but its navy trains in hopes of returning to the sea one day.
A plastic bag made it to the world’s deepest spot. Even the Mariana Trench isn’t immune to the indestructible material that humans can’t stop throwing away.
Oil companies are giving up on climate change. Linguistic analysis shows that corporate responsibility reports are mentioning it less and less.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, ancient sourdough starters, and meat-rocks to hi@qz.com. You can follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day or download our apps for iPhone and Android. Today’s Daily Brief was written and edited by Preeti Varathan and Susan Howson.